1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an ink supply devices in which a controller is configured to determine a type of an ink cartridge and a position of the ink cartridge based on a detector detecting a portion of the ink cartridge configured to be mounted to a cartridge mounting portion.
2. Description of Related Art
A known inkjet image recording apparatus, such as an inkjet image recording apparatus described in JP-A-2005-288866, has a recording head having a plurality of nozzles formed therein, and a cartridge mounting portion to which an ink cartridge is mounted. The cartridge mounting portion accommodates the ink cartridge removably. When the ink cartridge is mounted to the cartridge mounting portion, an ink path is formed from the ink cartridge via the cartridge mounting portion to the recording head. Through the ink path, ink is supplied from the ink cartridge to the recording head. The recording head selectively ejects ink supplied from the ink cartridge, as small droplets of ink, from the nozzles. The droplets of ink are ejected onto a recording medium, such that an image is recorded thereon.
There are various types of known ink cartridges, each containing ink different in color or volume. In other words, various kinds of known ink cartridges are used with a known image recording apparatus. A known ink cartridge has a detection target portion for the recording apparatus to determine the type of ink cartridge. The detection target portion is positioned at a position corresponding to a detecting device, e.g. an optical detector, which is positioned in the cartridge mounting portion. The detecting device outputs a signal when it detects the detection target portion. The image recording apparatus has a controller configured to determine the type of ink cartridge based on the signal output from the detecting device.
For example, a known image recording apparatus, such as an image recording apparatus described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,739,689B2, is configured to selectively receive three types of ink cartridges. A first-type ink cartridge has a first detection target portion and a second detection target portion, a second-type ink cartridge has the first detection target portion, but does not have the second detection target portion, and a third-type ink cartridge has the second detection target portion, but does not have the first detection target portion. The cartridge mounting portion has two detecting devices configured to detect the first detection target portion and the second detection target portion, respectively. When an ink cartridge is mounted to the cartridge mounting portion, the controller executes a process to determine the type of ink cartridge based on signals output from the two detecting devices.
However, the detection target portions may not be correctly detected. For example, a certain degree of clearance may be provided between the ink cartridge and the cartridge mounting portion to facilitate insertion of the ink cartridge into the cartridge mounting portion. With this clearance, the position of the ink cartridge may change in the cartridge mounting portion, e.g., the ink cartridge may tilt relative to the cartridge mounting portion, and the positional relationship between each of the detection target portions and a corresponding one of the detecting devices may vary. In particular, such variations of the positional relationship are likely to occur in an ink cartridge having a plurality of detection target portions, which are spaced a relatively great distance apart, e.g., which are positioned on top and bottom ends of the ink cartridge when the ink cartridge is mounted to the cartridge mounting portion. Because of the variations, the type of the ink cartridge may not be correctly detected, or a position of the ink cartridge in the cartridge mounting portion may not be correctly determined.
For example, when the first-type ink cartridge having the first detection target portion and the second detection target portion is mounted to the cartridge mounting portion while being tilted relative to the cartridge mounting portion, the first detection target portion may be detected while the second detection target portion may not be detected. In this case, the controller may incorrectly determine that the second-type ink cartridge that has the first detection target portion, but does not have the second detection target portion, is mounted to the cartridge mounting portion. If printing is carried out with the ink cartridge whose type is incorrectly determined by the controller, a different type of ink may mix with ink remaining in the nozzles of the recording head, resulting in an undesired chemical reaction that may cause mixed ink to solidify in the nozzles.
In addition, the detection target portions of the ink cartridge may be broken off when the ink cartridge is accidentally bumped or dropped. If the first-type ink cartridge with the second detection target portion broken off is mounted to the cartridge mounting portion, the controller may incorrectly determine that the second-type ink cartridge is mounted to the cartridge mounting portion.
On a different note, when the image recording apparatus is turned off with the ink cartridge mounted to the cartridge mounting portion, a record on determination as to whether the ink cartridge is mounted may be lost from storage device, e.g. memory. In this case, even when the apparatus is turned on again with the ink cartridge mounted to the cartridge mounting portion, whether the ink cartridge is mounted to the cartridge mounting portion may need to be determined.